Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-02-12
That was the plan.


Pillow said he expected to troll the enemy
(McClernands division) in full retreat over
upon Gen. Buckner, when, by attack in
flank and rear, they could cut up the enemy
and put him completely 20 rout."
Pillows attack was Sudden and furious.
Reveille was just sounding in McClernands
camp, and the troops were not under arms
when the onset was made. There was con-
fusion, there was danger that the whole right
wing of the Federal army would be routed.
In few minutes though, in scarcely more
time than it takes to write it, Netherlands
men, gun In hand, had their faces toward the
foe.
The account of the fierce onset and shock,
and its reception by the Federal soldiers,
read like some of Caesars battles with the
Gauls Gen. Oglesby, of Illinois, who COM
manded brigade on the right, received the
first tremendous attack His men returned
fire till their ammunition gave out. They
snatched up the cartridge boxes from the dead
and dying and poured their contents into the
foe till that too gave out Then Col w. H.
L. Wallace's brigade went to the rescue.
That at length quailed before the "trebly
laundering" attack A lamented statesman,
who has lately passed to the realm of the un.
seen, distinguished himself calamity here.
He was then colonel of the Thirty-first Hi
nois and his name was John A. Logan. He
was here and there and everywhere in that
battle, showering electric words upon his
men, his dark face Lit with excitement, his
eye shining like an eagles. By the magnet
ism of his personal influence he prevented a
panic and a rout early in the day.
Netherlands division, with Taylor's,
Dresser's and McAllister's batteries of light
artillery, met the Confederate onset brayrly
and we'll To the right of Oglesby still was
Gen. Macarthur, nearest the river. He had
been ordered there the night before, with
troops who had had no food all day. They
passed the night in the snow and sleet, with
out fires or shelter. Gen. Macarthur had had
no time to become acquainted with the nature
of the ground. He only knew that he faced
Fort Donelson. The Confederate design was
to make dash and get cavalry in his rear
and then with cavalry TO rear of him, infantry
before, he would be powerless.
Soldiers do not always find it easy to fight
ON full stomach, but McArthur's men had
tasted thirty-six hours. In this state of hun
ger they were when they heard at 5 O'Clock in
viz AhOAAAh6 WIG Ah AAo VA OblcoDJ OH
left. AS soon as it was heard, without whit
ing for orders, Macarthur formed his empty
Stomached men in line of battle. They took
a lively hand in the fight. But presently
worse trouble than empty stomachs con-
fronted them, and that was empty cartridge
boxes. Before that obstacle they were indeed
powerless and so the brigade fell back some
hundreds of yards to the rear and took up
new position. 1t is sufficient to say of them
that toward night they got one square meal.
and then moved over to the left of the Federal
forces to support the troops fighting there.
The morning progressed. 1t began to look
indeed as if Pillow was going to carry out his
threat to "roll the enemy over" McArthurs
brigade had crumbled away. So had
Oglesby's Netherlands division was in the
gravest danger. In the center, Lew Wallace,
with the Third division, was lying inactive
His orders were to act on the defensive and
watch the ConfedeRates TO prevent their es-
Gaping his way.
Pillows division, in deploying, spread wider
and wider, and more and more toward Lew
Wallace McClernand's division began to
waver. Three Confederate batteries, Maney's,
POI ter's and Graves, poured steady fire into
it Duckner was advancing, too, with his